Security Settings
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How to use Eclipse to secure your machine

To set the Security Settings, open the Preferences dialog box by bringing Eclipse to the foreground and choosing “Preferences...” from the File menu.

 

At the top center of the Preferences dialog box is a pop-up menu labeled “Options.” Choose “Security Settings” from this menu. You will see the following:

 

Interface

In Security Settings there is a text field for entering a password. Below the password field are three checkboxes. Checking these boxes instructs Eclipse when to ask for a password: to undim the screen, to set the preferences, or to quit Eclipse.

Below these checkboxes is a fourth one labeled “Confirm before quitting Eclipse.” We recommend that this checkbox remains checked. Since Eclipse is an application, it can be quit accidentally with the Command-Q key combination. An accidental closing of Eclipse could leave your machine unprotected.

Security Settings

If you are working on an important project and step away from your desk, you wouldn’t want others to disturb your masterpiece in progress. You can set a password to protect your machine while you are away. In order to use this feature of Eclipse, you must enter a password and have at least one of the three checkboxes checked.

When you check the “Undim the screen” checkbox, Eclipse requires a password when an action has been detected that would normally undim the screen. The correct password must be entered in order for the screen to undim.

When you check the “Set preferences” checkbox, Eclipse requires a password when “Preferences...” is selected from the File menu. This feature protects your preferences and your password from being changed.

When you check the “Quit Eclipse” checkbox, Eclipse requires a password when you try to quit the program. This feature prevents Eclipse from being quit unintentionally.

The Tattletale

The Tattletale function informs you when someone has tampered with your machine. When an incorrect password is entered, or if the machine is manually restarted, Eclipse reports the infraction when the correct password is entered. 

Incorrect Passwords
Only the wrong user will enter an incorrect password, but the right user can make a mistake while entering the password. Eclipse takes this into consideration. If you enter the wrong password, Eclipse plays an alert sound. You then have 30 seconds to enter the correct password.

After the 30 seconds expire, Eclipse will note when the incorrect password was entered. When Eclipse receives the correct password, the Tattletale feature immediately reports that an incorrect password was entered and provides the time and date when the infraction occurred.

Restarts
You can restart a Macintosh from your keyboard or by using the power button. These techniques can be used to bypass certain password protection schemes. Eclipse takes steps to prevent this from being successful.

A software program can’t prevent a machine from being restarted manually, but Eclipse uses a creative way to protect against this. When the machine restarts, Eclipse remembers it was in a dimmed state. After the startup process is complete, Eclipse immediately dims the screen and asks for the password.

When the correct password is entered, the Tattletale feature informs you that the machine was restarted and reports the time and date when the restart occurred.